


Remember

by opal_sapphire



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Kidnapping, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 05:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 13,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18137855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opal_sapphire/pseuds/opal_sapphire
Summary: You have no idea who Klaus Mikaelson is to you.  You have no idea who any of the Mikaelsons are to you, for that matter.  Thing is, they seem to know you.  If what they're saying is true, how are you going to get your apparently missing memories back?





	1. Chapter 1

You groaned, blinking your eyes open. You went to rub them, but you couldn’t move your hands. Wide awake now, you looked down and saw your wrists were bound to the chair you were sitting on. Panicking, you looked around, trying to figure out where you were. A dark room.

You swallowed hard, trying to control your breathing. You had to stay calm if you were gonna get out of here alive. You took a deep breath. What was that noise?

Footsteps. Coming towards you.

You slumped in your chair and closed your eyes. Maybe if you pretended to still be unconscious, they would leave you alone. You heard a door open directly in front of you.

“They’re still out,” someone growled after a moment. “How strong was the stuff you used?”

“Strong enough and then some apparently,” another replied. “It shouldn’t be too much longer before they wake up, though.”

“Then we can really have fun,” the first person snickered.

You heard two pairs of footsteps leave the room. The sound of the door latching echoed through the room.

You did not want to find out what their version of “fun” would be. You felt your bindings with your fingertips–rope. That explained why it burned when you wiggled. You started tugging, hoping to somehow loosen the knot enough to undo it.

A shout came from outside the door after a while. You worked at the rope harder. When the sounds stopped, you froze. Footsteps approached you again, so you slumped again. The door opened, and the footsteps came closer, stopping directly in front of you. They slowly went behind you. It took all your concentration not to flinch when you felt fingertips brushing your wrists. The rope fell away. The footsteps went in front of you again.

“Y/N,” a voice said. You didn’t move. “Y/N, love, wake up.”

You jerked your knee up. The figure–it was too dark to properly see–sprang back. You shot to your feet and bolted out the door. The person grabbed your wrist. You screamed.

“Y/N!" They turned you to face them and grabbed your other wrist, keeping your arms down.

"Y/N, stop, it’s okay, it’s alright, you’re safe, love,” they said. “It’s me.”

You stopped struggling and glared at them–a blonde man. “Hello Me, I’m Let Go Of Me Before I Knee You In The Groin.”

He released your wrists. You stepped back. Watching his face, you felt like you should know him. He seemed familiar, but you couldn’t place it.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” He asked.

“Should I?” You replied.

He looked away.

“Is it safe to assume you just saved me?” You asked.

He nodded.

“Thank you, then.”

The silence was awkward.

“I don’t suppose you know how to get out of here?” You asked.

He nodded and led you outside. You took a deep breath and thanked him again.

“Let’s get you home,” he said.

Any other time you would’ve declined leading a perfect stranger to your home. Considering what just happened to you, however, you decided to at least let him lead you to the city.

You walked the whole way. The distance wasn’t as great as you’d thought, actually, which was a bit of a relief. As soon as you saw Rousseau’s you told him you knew the way from here.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

You nodded.

“No, I meant are you sure you know where you’re going?”

You furrowed your brows. “Of course I know where I’m going, I’ve lived at the same place in New Orleans for five years.”

“Where did you live before?”

You opened your mouth to answer, and realized you couldn’t. Not because you suddenly didn’t know how to speak, but because you couldn’t remember. At all.

You frowned. “That doesn’t matter.”

“It matters if you can’t remember,” he said.

“What makes you think I don’t remember?”

“Because you don’t recognize me, Y/N.”

“Because I don’t know you." Something dawned on you. "Wait, how do you know my name? And why don’t I know yours?”

He sighed. “I am Klaus Mikaelson.”

You snorted. “Yeah, right. Don’t give me that look,” you added, seeing his slightly offended expression. “Everyone knows that the Mikaelson family is a legend. They don’t exist as anything more than an origin story for vampires.”

“Trust me, love, we’re real,” he said.

“Prove it, then.”

He looked around and led you around a corner where no one could see you. After checking for people one last time, he looked at you. You cursed and stepped back.

His eyes were gold, like a werewolf’s. Where the whites of his eyes should’ve been was black. Equally black veins crawled under his   
eyes.

“Believe me now?” Klaus asked, his face back to normal.

You nodded.

“Come with me,” he said. “I can help you.”

“Why?” You asked. “Why do you want to? Say I do have amnesia. Why me?”

“Because we know each other, and the man who kidnapped you used you to get to me.”

You didn’t respond. On one hand you knew something wasn’t right. You couldn’t remember anything past waking up in that chair. On the other hand, this man–Klaus Mikaelson, of all people–was a complete stranger to you. You didn’t seem to have a choice but to go with him.

“Fine,” you grumbled, hoping you didn’t just make a huge mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn’t seem you had. Klaus didn’t live alone, apparently, but with his family. His sisters Rebekah and Freya, his brother Elijah, his daughter Hope and her mother, Hayley. They were thrilled to see you at first (not counting Hope, who was a baby and asleep in her crib upstairs) until they were informed of your apparent amnesia.

Then came the grueling task of trying to get rid of it. Spells, potions, medications–you name it, they tried it. Well, you tried it. Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. Three, to be exact.

You were tired and frustrated. Everything about the compound, about the Mikaelsons, was so familiar to you, yet you couldn’t remember anything. They were all understanding and sympathetic, which should’ve made you feel better. Instead it made you feel worse. They were trying to get back someone they knew, someone who looked like you, sounded like you, acted like you, and you couldn’t be that person.

Okay, so maybe not everyone was so nice about it. Klaus was…well, he was an ass about it.

He insisted you keep going when you were exhausted. He was convinced there was something that would work and they just hadn’t found it yet. He was pissy when you said you were tired. According to him you weren’t trying hard enough. The pleasant, helpful man who had rescued you was gone.

You kept quiet in the face of this and let his siblings shut him up. They seemed to do a remarkable job of it. Like tonight.

Freya had done a spell to help you focus and stay calm. It lasted about an hour with you trying find hidden memories. There was a small breakthrough, in fact. You remembered laying on a couch, nearly asleep. Soft music was playing, though you couldn’t tell what exactly. There was someone else in the room as well, but the memory was gone before you could figure out who.

You were excited. You finally remembered something. Suddenly all the work you’d been doing felt worth it. But, while you were excited about the recovered memory, the spell had left you exhausted. It was late, you were tired, and you wanted to go to sleep.

Klaus, on the other hand, didn’t think that was necessary. He thought you should keep going and find another memory.  
Which led you to now. The whole family was arguing over what you should do, and you’d had enough.

You got up from the couch, tired of the real-life soap opera in front of you, and made your way to the stairs. Klaus appeared in front of you, blocking your way.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He demanded.

“To bed,” you replied.

“You’re not finished.”

“I am tonight.”

He opened his mouth, but you cut him off. “I’m tired, Klaus. You might not need much sleep, but I do. There’s no point in continuing if I’m too tired. I won’t be able to focus. In fact, I might just fall asleep anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Klaus didn’t move. Suddenly you were incredibly pissed and past the point of manners.

“Get the hell out of my way, Klaus. I don’t care if you want me to keep going. I’m my own person and I make my own decisions. Right now I’ve decided to go to sleep. If you don’t like it, you can kiss my ass.”

With that you shoved past him and up to your room, paying no mind to the others below.


	3. Chapter 3

After your outburst you suddenly found it in you to speak your mind. Before you’d only speak when spoken to, not wanting to seem ungrateful for the help you were being provided. Now if you didn’t want to do something, or you needed a break, you didn’t hesitate to say so. It was liberating, and no one gave you crap for it, not even Klaus.

In fact, Klaus was oddly quiet now. It was somehow both relieving and kind of unsettling. You weren’t sure why, but you felt that this was entirely abnormal for him.

You were harshly brought out of your thoughts when your ears registered what Freya said.

“There’s nothing else I can do.”

You blinked, feeling panic bubble in your chest. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve done everything I can think of to bring your memories back.”

“Not everything,” Klaus muttered.

Your eyes snapped to his, unsure if he was being his usual self or not.

“Niklaus,” Elijah muttered. The others glared at Klaus, seeming to want him to shut up.

“Come now, brother, you heard Y/N the other day: They make their own decisions. Let them make this one.”

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” You interrupted.

Freya sighed. “There is one other spell I could do. But,” she added, “it would be incredibly painful. And that’s if it works.”

You raised your eyebrows at her.

“It’s possible you were compelled to forget everything. If that’s the case, I could try and undo the compulsion.”

Excitement was growing in you, but you restrained yourself. “What are the risks?”

“Immense pain, exhaustion, possibly to the point of passing out.”

You wanted to say yes. You wanted your memories back. But you didn’t want to be in pain. Since no one had brought it up (or seemed to want to in the first place), it was probably going to be really bad.

You chewed your bottom lip for a long few minutes, mulling it over. You looked back up at them.

“Let’s do it.”


	4. Chapter 4

You’d decided to wait until the next morning to do it. No one knew how long it would take, and you wanted as much sleep as possible beforehand. You had a feeling that wouldn’t be possible once it started.

To say you were nervous was an understatement. You couldn’t think of anything else. You were surprised you slept at all.

“Are you ready?” Freya asked.

You nodded, swallowing hard. You followed her instructions as close as you could. Lie down on your back and close your eyes. For a split second you were about to back out. Then it began.

You were not prepared for the pain. You knew it would hurt, were warned multiple times, but you still hadn’t expected this. Now you understood why everyone was so reluctant to tell you about this spell.

Images flashed in your mind, playing like scenes from a movie. You realized this was it. These were your memories.


	5. Chapter 5

_**5 years earlier…** _

You pulled your knees closer to your chest, peeking through the gap between the door and the doorway. The men were taunting your mother, who didn’t appear fazed. If anything, she seemed ready.

“Where’s the kid?” One of the men demanded.

“Not here,” your mother replied.

He sneered. “Find them.”

The other men left the room.

“You won’t,” your mother insisted.

She wasn’t totally lying. You were there, in her closet. But there was a protection spell on you to keep you hidden from those people. They could hunt all they wanted; they wouldn’t find you.

You so badly wanted to call out to your mother. To help her, to fight them, to just get out of there. But you couldn’t. She’d made you promise that you would stay put in the closet until she got you out.

When the men came back without you, the leader grew angry. He shouted obscenities at your mother, who kept a neutral face.

When you were about to burst from the closet to kick this guy’s ass, it happened. He took out a knife and slit your mother’s throat. You clapped a hand over your mouth to stifle your gasp.

Your mother’s body fell, and the men disappeared from your view. You lowered your hand and stared at the door. You buried your face in your knees, waiting. Either for something to happen, or until you grew hungry or thirsty. Only then could you leave the closet.

Whether it was hours or minutes that passed, you had no idea. All you knew was that your mother, the only person you had left in the world, was gone. Now you had to figure out what to do and how to survive doing it.

Your ears began to register voices. You tensed, but didn’t lift your head. The voices grew closer, and light suddenly filled the closet. You lifted your head up and saw a blonde man kneeling in front of you.

“Y/N?” He asked.

You didn’t respond. He seemed vaguely familiar. But how the hell did he know who you were?

“My name is Klaus,” he continued.

Klaus. _Klaus._ The one man your mother said you could trust should something happen to her.

“I knew your mother, you can trust me.”

Your mother had shown you a picture of him she still had so you’d know what he looked like. That’s why he seemed familiar to you.  
Klaus held out his hand. You took it, and he gently pulled you up. You slowly walked out of the closet and glanced to your left. Another man was there, kneeling next to your mother’s body.

“Don’t look,” Klaus said.

You turned your head straight in front of you, wrapping your arms around yourself. Klaus took his jacket off and laid it over your shoulders, then wrapped an arm around you and guided you out of the house. Outside was a blonde woman standing on the sidewalk.

“This is my sister, Rebekah,” he said.

You weren’t entirely sure what happened after that. You knew you got in a car with Rebekah and suddenly you were sitting on a sofa in their home. The car ride felt almost like you’d dreamt it. You weren’t sure how long you’d been sitting on the couch, staring off into the distance.

A hand tapped your shoulder. You tensed and looked up. Seeing Klaus, you relaxed ever-so-slightly.

“Come with me,” he said.

You followed him upstairs to a bedroom. A queen-sized bed was against the wall on your left with nightstands on either side. French doors were straight in front of you; you guessed they led to a balcony. Right next to the doors on the left were two empty floor-to-ceiling bookcases. On the right of the doors was a single armchair. Against the right wall was a wardrobe and a vanity. Left of the vanity was another door, this one open, leading to a bathroom.

“This is yours, for however long you decide to stay,” Klaus said.

You sat on the foot of the bed, looking all around the room.

“How did you know?” You asked.

“I heard your mother was in trouble,” he replied. “I wanted to help.”

“How did you know her?”

“We became friends before you were born.”

You nodded and caught your reflection in the vanity mirror. You still had Klaus’ jacket on. You looked…dead. There was no other way to put it. You just looked like you were dead, or about to die.

“I was at your christening,” Klaus said.

He wasn’t talking about a normal, human christening. A werecat christening was different. After they’re born, a werecat must be christened within the first year of their life. It’s to prevent premature Turning and to protect them from bad magic. The prevention lasts until they officially Turn, and the protection lasts exactly one year.

“I know,” you replied. “Mama showed me a picture.”

“So you know me?” He asked.

You nodded. “Mama told me about you. You’re the only other person in the world besides Dad she trusted with me.”  
Klaus looked away for a moment, then back at you. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“Still a while before you Turn, then.” He sighed. “Get some rest. Tomorrow we’ll figure out what to do.”

You nodded. He left, closing the door behind him. You took off the jacket and laid it across the back of the chair. You took your shoes off and placed them in front of it. Then you pulled back the covers on the bed, moved the pillows and crawled in. You pulled the covers up to your neck.

You refused to think about what happened today. You refused to acknowledge it had even happened. You stuck yourself inside a safe, ignorant cocoon, and you weren’t coming out.


	6. Chapter 6

You looked out the car window on the way to your house. Klaus was driving and Rebekah was sitting behind him. You were sitting behind Elijah, the man who had been in your mother’s room with Klaus yesterday. You may have pulled yourself out of your physical cocoon, but you were still determined to keep pretending all of this was just a dream.

You got out and started walking when the car pulled up to your house. The door hadn’t been locked, so you just pushed it open and walked in. You were headed straight for your room.

You hesitated in the doorway. The entire reason you were here was to pack whatever you wanted to take back to the compound. Despite your insistence on this being a dream, packing your things and leaving your home felt…real. Too real.

Not wanting to face questions on your hesitation, you forced yourself to enter your room and start. You came across pictures of you with your parents through the years. You made sure to take those. You carried the small box of things out of your room and stopped when you were about to pass your mother’s room. You decided to see if there was anything in there, too.

Setting the box on the bed, you rummaged through everything you thought she’d hide something in. You came across the picture from your christening.

Your mother was in the center, holding you. Your father was on her left, an arm around her shoulders. On her right was Klaus, hands clasped behind his back. All of them were smiling.

“I remember when that picture was taken,” Klaus said from behind you.

You nearly jumped out of your skin. You spun around.

“That was the only time I saw you after you were born,” he continued as if he hadn’t just scared the hell out of you.

“That’s not true,” you argued. “I remember seeing you outside my middle school at least once a month. Mama was pissed at you for that, you know.”

“Why?”

"Something about danger and enemies. I’m not entirely sure.”

You turned back around, set the picture in the box and left with it.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Y/N?”

You lifted your head up from your book. Klaus was leaning against the doorway.

“Mind coming with me?” He asked. “There’s something I want to show you.”

You nodded and cleaned your things up. Slipping on some shoes, you followed him to his car. You had no idea where he was taking you, which was a bit unnerving.

Finally, the car pulled to a stop. You raised your eyebrows at the trees in front of you. You got out of the car and followed Klaus through the trees, hoping he knew where he was going. And that he wasn’t about to kill you, because honestly this was the type of thing serial killers do.

He suddenly stopped, and you nearly ran into him. You peeked around him and saw a small hill in front of you. He started walking again, so you, not sure what the hell was going on, followed him up the hill.

You froze when you reached the top. There were two headstones. One was sitting behind a small mound of fresh dirt. The other was noticeably older, surrounded by grass. You drew just close enough to read the first headstone. You didn’t need to read the second one; you already knew it was your father’s. On the first one was your mother’s name, birth date…and death date.

In that moment your world crashed down around you. The cocoon you had so carefully crafted broke, and in poured the awful realization that your mother really was dead.

You pressed your hand to your mouth in a vain attempt to stifle your sobs. Your vision blurred with tears and your knees buckled. Klaus caught you and held you to him, not saying a word.

Life as you knew it was gone along with your mother, and now you had to somehow pick up the pieces and continue on.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day you came to an agreement: Since werecats don’t Turn until their 21st birthday, you would stay until yours. If something should happen, or you change your mind for any sensible reason, you could leave.

In the following week you had come to learn that living with the Mikaelsons was…interesting, to say the least. There was never a dull moment. Especially not when Klaus was having one of his tantrums.

Like now, for example. All you wanted was to go to the store for some food since there was none in the compound. You supposed that wasn’t too strange given that you were living with vampires. Regardless, grocery shopping shouldn’t be a problem, right? Wrong.

See, Klaus was adamant that you stay inside at all costs. The man who killed your mother was still out there, therefore you weren’t safe until he was found and “dealt with.”

You hadn’t shown attitude nor sassed any of them in the week you’d been there. On the contrary, you had been quiet. Not speaking unless spoken to, etc. It wasn’t like you’d been ordered to do that, you were just a little intimidated. You were, after all, living with the Original vampires. But now you were pissed.

“Leaving this house is an unnecessary risk!” Klaus said.

“I refuse to be stuck here like a prisoner!” You retorted.

“Calm down, both of you!” Rebekah interrupted, stepping between you. “I’ll take Y/N to the store. That way they won’t be alone and they won’t continue going stir crazy.”

Satisfied, you went with Rebekah. Though you had the feeling that you didn’t have much of a choice even if you weren’t alright with that decision.

It was situations like that that had you losing your mind. Sure, you were glad you could leave the compound at all. You just wanted some time to yourself, completely alone with no one around you. Apparently that really was too much to ask.

You were determined to get that alone time one way or another. So you made the decision to sneak out of the compound when the others were asleep. At one a.m., you made your move.

Slipping on your shoes and a jacket, you creeped out the front door with no one noticing. Thanking your luck, you went on your walk. Alone. At one in the morning. With no way to defend yourself. You didn’t realize just how stupid this was until it was too late.

A hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed you. You yelped and immediately started thrashing and screaming. Another hand covered your mouth, so you bit it. Your attacker screamed and let you go. Seizing the opportunity, you lunged away, but they grabbed you again.

“Think you can get away from me that easy?” They said. “I’m hungry, and you’re just what I’ve been craving.”

You screamed again, feeling two sharp points touch the side of your neck. Suddenly a cold rush of air hit your back. You stumbled backward and fell, scooting away until your back hit a wall.

You looked up and saw Klaus holding your attacker in the air by the throat. He threw them against another wall. The sickening crunch of the impact made you flinch. Klaus turned to you, and you froze.

Klaus Mikaelson was not only an Original vampire, but also the Original Hybrid–half vampire, half werewolf. You knew this. Yet you still weren’t expecting his hybrid face.

Black veins rippled under his eyes. His irises were gold, and where the whites should’ve been was black instead. He was angry, and seemed to be directing it at you. You blinked. You weren’t scared. Fascinated, actually.

Klaus’ face went back to normal, but he was still angry. He yanked you up roughly by your right upper arm and pulled you along behind him. You winced at his tight grip but didn’t move to loosen it, afraid he might squeeze even harder.

The two of you went the whole way back like that, and he never said a word. He forced you upstairs and into one of the rooms, then pushed you down on a couch.

“You could have died,” he growled.

You didn’t respond nor meet his glare, which seemed to piss him off more.

“That was a stupid thing to do, sneaking out like that in the middle of the night. You know you’re in constant danger, Y/N. What do you think would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up when I did? You would be a bloodless corpse hidden in some dark street corner! Y/M/N would be ashamed of you–”

“ _Do not use my mother against me!_ ” You shouted, shooting to your feet. “Yes, I was stupid. I shouldn’t have gone out on my own at night. If you weren’t so intent on keeping me cooped up, maybe I wouldn’t be so desperate to get out once in a while! You can scold me all you want, Klaus, but _never_ do that again.”

You stormed out of the room and to your own, eyes burning. You ran your hands through your hair over and over, forcing yourself to take deep breaths as you paced. You can’t do this. You can’t deal with any of this, this constant tension and arguing and fighting. Not just between you and Klaus, but among him and his siblings as well.

You were going to leave. You could leave for any sensible reason, and this sure as hell was one. Your sanity was on the line here, and you definitely didn’t want to lose that.

As soon as sunlight began coming through the windows, you got out of bed and started quietly packing. When all your things were settled, you left. You made it halfway to the nearest bus stop when Elijah caught up with you.

“You’re leaving?” He asked.

“No, I just feel like walking around with my things,” you deadpanned.

He sighed. “I know my brother can be difficult, but with time I’m sure it will get easier.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Elijah, but the only way I’m going back to living with Klaus is if he apologizes. And we both know that’s not gonna happen.”

“Then I suppose there’s no stopping you?”

“Nope.”

Reaching the bus stop, you sat on the bench and glanced at Elijah. He seemed lost in thought.

“If I can’t change your mind, then I wish you the best, Y/N,” he finally said.

You nodded, and he was gone. “I hate it when they do that,” you muttered.

The bus should be here in about two minutes. When it arrived you’d be on your way to…somewhere safe, preferably. You started having second thoughts. You couldn’t defend yourself, what would you do if something happened? Wait for someone to find you? They’d probably find your body, and even that could be a long time. You’d probably be dead by next week.

You shook your head. There was no point in thinking like that. You were your mother’s child. You could do this. So you’d have to learn a few things. No big deal. You were a survivor. You didn’t bow down to the obstacles in your path; you conquered them, and you knew when to ask for help. Okay, maybe the asking part needed some work.

Someone sat next to you. You glanced out of the corner of your eye to the right and saw Klaus. Great. Just what you wanted. You ignored him, staring straight ahead.

“Decided to leave, have you?” He said. You didn’t respond.

“Where will you go?” He continued. “How will you protect yourself? Get food and water? Medicine if you get sick or injured? Do you know how to take care of a wound?”

“Mama didn’t raise a fool,” you spat. “I can take care of myself, and if I find I don’t know how to do something then I’ll figure it out!”

“You really are her child.”

You glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “Only that you have spirit. You’re a survivor.”

Funny. That was exactly what you’d just thought only a minute ago. “What do you want, Klaus? Scold me some more? You know, I really wonder why my mother liked you at all. You’re nothing like she described. Frankly I don’t see how she could stand to be within a mile of you.”

Klaus looked away. The bus pulled up. You grabbed your bag and stood.

“Y/N, wait,” he said.

You stopped but didn’t turn around. When he didn’t keep going, you looked over your shoulder. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he looked at you.

“One more,” he said. You raised an eyebrow. “Give me one more chance.”

“Give me a sincere apology and one good reason why I should,” you replied.

Klaus hesitated. You approached the bus.

“Because I want to give Y/M/N and you a reason to put your faith in me.”

You turned around, eyebrows raised. “And?” You prompted after a moment.

He sighed. “And…and I’m sorry.”

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling.

 _“Klaus Mikaelson rarely apologizes,”_ your mother had told you. _“If he ever gives you a sincere apology, congratulations and don’t question it. You won’t know when you’ll get one again.”_

“Hey, kid, are you gonna get on or what?” The bus driver demanded. You couldn’t really blame them. You were, after all, just standing in front of the doors without doing anything.

You smiled apologetically at them. “Sorry, no.”

They rolled their eyes and closed the doors. You turned back to Klaus as the bus pulled away. “Don’t screw this up.”

You started walking back to the compound. When he didn’t follow, you turned. “Coming?”

And suddenly he was right next to you. You flinched. “Don’t do that!” You hissed. He smirked.


	8. Chapter 8

_**1 year later…** _

You landed flat on your ass. Again. Elijah held his hand out to you and you took it. He pulled you up and you got back in position.  
Elijah was teaching you how to fight. Or at least how to defend yourself. He was the best teacher you could’ve asked for. He was patient and kind and willing to go over what you had trouble with.

Over the past six months you’d learned how to break someone’s neck and rip their head off. The latter would be a hell of a lot easier once you Turned and had your supernatural strength. Until then you’d have to settle for fighting as a human.

You also knew some offensive and defensive moves and were putting them into action by sparring with Elijah. It was also good practice for fighting someone who was fasting than you. You’d be lying, however, if you said you weren’t getting frustrated. You hadn’t beaten Elijah once, but he’d beaten you more times than you cared to count.

You landed on your back and had the wind knocked out of you.

“Are you alright?” Elijah asked.

You nodded and sat up. When you took his hand, you yanked him down and quickly rolled out of the way. He landed on the ground next to you. You shot to your feet and moved so he couldn’t grab you.

He chuckled. "I told you you would get it.“

"Only took me about a hundred tries,” you replied, grinning.

He got up. “Something else that would be good to know is how to rip out someone’s heart.”

Your eyes widened. “Uh, I don’t think that’s necessary. First of all, I already know how to break someone’s neck and rip their head off. Second, I haven’t Turned yet, so I don’t have the strength to shove my hand in someone’s chest and rip their heart out.”

“I suppose you have a point. Still, it would be a good idea to have a general idea of where your hand should go.”

That is so not what you wanted. Your stomach dropped a little, like when you were in an elevator.

Elijah proceeded to show you where to place your hand and described to you how much force was needed to make your hand go in and come back out. Of course, you had to have some care, otherwise you could just punch straight through the heart. Because that’s a thing.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The Mikaelsons were facing yet another enemy. This one had a particularly stabby dark object. Of course, little was known about this object, so research had to be done. Which is what you and Klaus were doing.

It had gotten a little better than it was in the beginning. Granted, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but Klaus seemed to be trying. You had to give him credit for that. You were starting to see the man your mother had told you about, and that gave you hope that you hadn’t made the wrong decision six months ago.

You looked up from your book after finding something with potential. Klaus wasn’t in the room anymore. Of course. Oh, how you couldn’t wait to Turn so you’d get your supernatural hearing and know when they were still in the room. Or when they were about to sneak up on you.

Feeling tired, frustrated and a little pessimistic about your discovery, you growled, slammed the book down and stormed out of the room.

“Klaus, where the hell are you?” You called. "I think I found something, and I’d like to share it with you. But hey, if you don’t wanna hear it, that’s fine too.“

Elijah and Rebekah were out. It was just you and Klaus. Depending on your moods (more on his than yours), you could be sweethearts to each other or at each other’s throats. Your relationship was still a work in progress.

You went downstairs into the courtyard. You opened your mouth to shout for him again when something grabbed you and covered your mouth. You immediately started thrashing.

"I’ve been looking for you, little birdy.” You knew that voice. This was the man that killed your mother. How the hell did he find you?

“I can’t wait to see the look on your face when I cut your throat open,” he said. “Just like I did to your mother.”

Your vision turned red with rage. You elbowed him in the gut. He groaned and let go of you. You spun and clocked him in the face.

“Klaus!” you shouted.

You may have been able to fight now, but you were still human, and this asshole was a vampire. A pissed off vampire. You knew you couldn’t take him on your own. You needed help.

The man got up, laughed, and lunged. You jumped out of the way and tried to kick him. He caught your ankle and pulled. You went down on your back and felt the breath leave your body. You gasped for air and he started kicking you in the abdomen. You gasped again and then he was gone.

When you finally caught your breath you rolled over. Klaus had the man pinned against the wall by the throat. You tried to sit up, but an ache in your left side caused you to gasp, which made it worse, which made you stop moving altogether.

You tried to take a deep breath, but even that hurt. You settled for breathing as deep you could and keeping it regulated. You stood as quickly as you could, turned and froze.

Klaus was lying on the ground unconscious. The man was standing over him with a stake. Pain forgotten, you screamed and tackled the man to the ground. Clearly catching him off guard, the two of you rolled and rolled and rolled. When you stopped, he was on top of you. He laughed, grabbed your neck and started strangling you.

You instinctively grabbed his wrists and dug your nails in his flesh and pulled. It wasn’t working, and black spots were beginning to dance around the edges of your vision.

You started feeling around for something, anything, to use against him. There. You grabbed whatever it was and swung. It hit him on the head and he let go. You realized you were holding the stake. Without even thinking about it, you drove it through his heart.

You watched as shock dawned on his face, and as the light went out of his eyes. He slumped forward and on top of you, stake still in his chest. You tried to shove him off, but he was too heavy. You began to panic. There was a dead body lying on top of you, and you couldn’t get it off. Tears leaked from the corners of your eyes as your shoves started growing more frantic.

“Klaus,” you called. "Klaus, please, wake up!“

What if he was dead? The thought slithered into your mind, and your fear grew. "Nik, please! Nik! Nik, wake up, I can’t get him off me! Please!”

You closed your eyes, thinking maybe if you didn’t see the body on you it wouldn’t be there. It might’ve worked if you hadn’t been able to feel its weight. Its weight…which wasn’t there anymore?

You opened your eyes and blinked more tears away. The body was off you. You sat up, gasping.

“Nik!” You called again.

“I’m right here, Y/N.”

You whipped your head to the right and, sure enough, there he was. Klaus wrapped his arms around you and held you as you cried. When the tears finally stopped, you were so tired. The adrenaline had left your body, and now you were aching and wanted to sleep.

Klaus gently helped you up. Your side pulsed and you hissed. He picked you up and carried you to your room, setting you down on the bed. You closed your eyes, only meaning to for just a moment, and fell asleep.

You killed the man who your mother. You avenged her. Now you had to somehow come to terms with that. Now you had to decide what to do. Again.


	9. Chapter 9

_**1 year later…** _

You stopped questioning your decision to stay. In fact, you were glad you did. Your relationship with them had grown, especially with Klaus.

This morning you woke up on the couch in his painting room. This was normal. When you couldn’t sleep, you’d come here if Klaus was up as well. Sometimes you talked, sometimes you didn’t. It was peaceful, just lying on the couch while he painted. You were always able to fall asleep. 

The only thing that made this morning different from the rest was that Klaus was in a mood. It usually took him until the afternoon to get into one, so you were curious about what started it so soon.

You sat up and rubbed your eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He was furiously pacing. “Rebekah has betrayed us.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“She has spilt our secrets to another person! Someone she’s been seeing without telling us.”

You frowned. “Okay, first of all, Rebekah is a grown ass woman and doesn’t need to tell us every little detail of her life. Second, what makes you think she’s spilled some beans?”

“I found them in her room. Apparently she’s been seeing him for months. No doubt she’s told him everything about us!”

You dragged a hand down your face. “Let me get this straight: You found Rebekah and her lover in her room. They’ve been together for months. Is that the only reason you have to think she’s said anything, anything at all, that she shouldn’t have?”

“It’s more than enough!” Klaus insisted.

You snorted. “Please. You sound like an overprotective, paranoid maniac, Nik.”

Klaus vamp sped out of the room and back. He was holding what looked like some kind of dagger.

“Whoa,” you said. “What the hell is that, and what are you doing with it?”

“This,” he replied, “is a dagger I had made a long time ago. If it’s stabbed straight through one of my siblings’ hearts, it will put them in a magical coma. I can leave it in for however long I wish. This will be Rebekah’s punishment.”

You gaped and jumped off the couch, waving your arms. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. Hold up. Wait just a fluffin minute.”

Klaus sighed. You ignored him.

“You’re gonna take that,” you pointed at the dagger, “and stick it in Rebekah’s heart?! All because you think she betrayed us, and you have no proof?!”

“The proof will be in her reaction!” He replied. “She has nothing to fear if she did nothing wrong!”

“Um, actually, Klaus, I wouldn’t blame her for being afraid of that thing! Think about it! Having a blade stabbed in your heart and being left somewhere for who knows how long?! That’s terrifying! Put that thing down!”

He opened his mouth to argue, but you cut him off. “And don’t give me the B.S. about her lover! You should know your sister well enough to know that she wouldn’t divulge anything.”

Klaus scowled, but you didn’t back down. You raised your eyebrows and gestured to the dagger. He vamp sped out of the room. You took off after him.

You leaned over the railing, looking out into the courtyard. Klaus was approaching Rebekah, dagger in hand. You rushed down the stairs and jumped between them. You held your left hand up to stop Klaus.

“Klaus, do not–” you cut yourself off with a shout. You looked at your hand. The dagger had gone straight through it. Blood was seeping out around it. It hurt, but at the same time felt strangely numb.

You glared at Klaus. He was stunned. You were furious.

“Quit being stupid,” you spat. “You do things like this, then wonder why people hate you.”

You spun on your heel and went up to your room, closing the door behind you. Looking at your hand, you almost found it funny how much it looked like some sort of prop with the dagger in it.

You went to your bathroom and turned on the water in the sink. You found the first aid kit, some towels and a washcloth. A knock came from the door. You stuck your head out of the bathroom to listen.

“Y/N?” It was Elijah.

“Come in,” you replied, and ducked back in the bathroom.

You put your hand in the sink and opened the first aid kit. Elijah appeared on your right.

Hey, didn’t flinch this time, you silently applauded yourself.

Elijah helped you take care of your hand. When it came time to get the dagger out, you put the washcloth to good use and bit down on it. You were pretty sure there were a few holes in it now, because that dagger hurt worse coming out than going in.

Lying in bed that night, hand all wrapped up, you found you couldn’t sleep. Your first instinct was to see if Klaus was painting, but you quickly squashed that feeling down. After what happened today, you didn’t want to be around him.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
For the next week and a half neither of you spoke to each other. Klaus wouldn’t even look at you. You barely slept. Everything (and everyone) was tense again.

You decided to go out for a walk. There was no use lying around in the compound all day, especially right now.

You were minding your own business when a woman came up to you.

“Excuse me,” she said. “Are you Y/N Y/L/N?”

“Uh, yeah,” you replied.

She smiled at you and took your left hand. You winced at her tight grip. You opened your mouth to ask her to loosen it when you felt something cold seep through the wrappings. You ripped your hand away.

“I hope you enjoy your gift,” she said. She smiled at you and walked away.

You booked it back to the compound. You stopped in the entrance when you saw Klaus sitting on a couch in the courtyard. You started walking again, meaning to avoid him, but the ground suddenly swelled up around you. You stumbled, and it went back down. You moved, and it came back up. This time, instead of just stumbling, you fell.

Your head and left hand were pulsing in time with your heartbeat. You squeezed your eyes shut and grabbed your head.

“What’s wrong?” Klaus asked from your left.

“I don’t know,” you whispered, then cursed. “A woman came up to me, I think she did something.”

He growled and picked you up. You weren’t completely aware of your surroundings anymore at this point. All you knew was that your head and hand hurt, you were tired and you were lying on something.

You cracked your eyes open and saw Klaus next to you examining your left hand. You closed your eyes again and started drifting off.

“Y/N, love, I need you to stay awake,” Klaus said.

You nodded. The numbness in your hand was strange, like when your foot falls asleep but you can still vaguely feel things, minus the tingling. Suddenly your hand started stinging, making you hiss.

All you wanted to do was sleep, and now your hand hurt. Maybe you could sleep through it. Yeah, that would work. You’ve done it before. You were almost there when someone shook your shoulder. You frowned.

“Sweetheart, please, wake up,” Klaus begged.

The panic in his voice triggered something in your mind. It was like your survival instincts decided to kick in. You forced yourself to sit up, but couldn’t get your eyes open. As soon as you were up, your hand throbbed. You growled.

Klaus took your good hand and put a glass in it. The thought of anything edible, liquid and food, made you nauseous, but you forced yourself to drink. Whatever it was, it was nasty. You almost spat it out, but managed to get it down.

You were unable to keep yourself up anymore. You let yourself fall back and tried to stay awake. Klaus took your good hand again and gently squeezed it. You squeezed back. He stroked your hair.

You tried to stay awake, you really did. But before you knew it, you were out.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You sat up gasping, hand to your chest. You could feel your heartbeat; you were alive. You looked at your left hand: Bandaged, but seemingly fine. Your head didn’t ache anymore.

You looked around and realized you were on your bed. Your door flew open and Klaus rushed in. You looked at him, eyes wide. Your breaths were still coming in short gasps and you were trembling. He sat on the edge of the bed, and you launched yourself at him.

Klaus held you tight and stroked your hair until you calmed down. When you did you pulled back.

“I almost died,” you whispered. He nodded. You got out of bed and started pacing in front of the balcony doors. “I-I could feel it happening. My heart got too slow way, way too slow. I could barely breathe and I didn’t even care. I didn’t care that I was dying! I thought I was falling a-asleep, that I’d feel better if I just s-slept it off!”

By now you’d worked yourself back up. Tears were rolling down your cheeks. You were terrified.

Klaus came up to you and guided you to sit on the bed. You grabbed his hand with your good one, and he let you squeeze as tight as you could. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

“What the hell even happened?” You asked when you were calmer.

“A witch tried to poison you,” Klaus replied. “Probably saw the bandages on your hand and tried to get it in your bloodstream.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry, love.”

“For what?” You asked, confused.

“If I hadn’t stabbed you this wouldn’t have happened.”

“We don’t know that. And I’m not the one you should apologize to.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Um, hello? Rebekah?” You said, raising your voice.

He looked away. You sighed. “Look, I know it isn’t easy for you. But you have to apologize. All daggering your siblings will do is drive them away. They’ll come to resent you. I know you don’t want that, Nik, so please, just try.”

“Alright, alright,” Klaus grumbled.

You made sure he apologized, going so far as to stand in the room with him and Rebekah. She seemed surprised. You kind of were, too.

When you couldn’t sleep that night, and you were lying on the couch as Klaus painted, you sat up.

“Promise me something,” you said. He turned. “Promise me you won’t dagger your siblings again. Not even try to.”

He hesitated.

“Promise, Nik!” You didn’t know why you were so insistent on it. Okay, that was a lie. You didn’t have any family left. Not counting the Mikaelsons, of course. You wanted to make sure Klaus could never say the same thing.

“I promise.”


	10. Chapter 10

_**1 year later...** _

Klaus now had a daughter, Hope, with a werewolf-turned-hybrid named Hayley. The oldest Mikaelson sibling, Freya, came back. Enemies had come and gone, and there was peace again. For now, at least.

You had just turned 20. Only one year until you Turned. You had no idea what the hell you were supposed to do.

You were wandering around the compound. It was something you liked to do lately, when you were home alone. You entered another room, and stopped.

There was a long box lying on a pedestal in the middle of the room. A coffin. Suddenly nervous, you looked around and approached it. The lid was closed. You opened it and gasped.

Rebekah. She’d gone out of the country for a little vacation. Or at least, that’s what you thought.

_**“I hope Rebekah’s having fun in Europe,” you said. "Do you know when she’s coming back?“** _

_**"I’m not sure,” Klaus replied.** _

_**“I think I’ll text her later, try to set up a video chat.”** _

_**“Let me know if it works out.”** _

But here she was. In a coffin. With a dagger in her chest. You immediately yanked the dagger out and stepped back. A few moments passed, and suddenly Rebekah sat up.

She explained how Klaus hadn’t wanted her to go to Europe, but she tried anyway, so he daggered her and made everyone believe she’d gone. You didn’t want to believe that Klaus did it, that he broke his promise to you. However, you also didn’t want to delude yourself. Regardless, you decided to do something.

You went off to Klaus’ room, Rebekah hot on your heels.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I’m gonna find every stupid dagger and hide them,” you replied.

“Are you out of your mind?! As soon as Klaus finds out, he’ll–”

“I know the risks, Rebekah.”

You paused your search and looked at her. "I’m not gonna ask you to help me.“ Neither of you said anything for a long moment. If Rebekah helped you, there was no telling what he’d do to her. Or, now that you thought about it, what he’d do to you.

"Well get moving,” Rebekah said. "We don’t have all day.“

You had managed to find all the daggers. You hoped Klaus didn’t have any spares. You hid them somewhere only you knew about.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It was evening now. Klaus had texted you that he and Elijah would be home any minute. You were sitting on a couch in the courtyard. Your stomach was in knots. You didn’t wanna do this. But you had to.

"Hello, love,” Klaus said from behind you.

You looked at him. “Hi.”

He went to the bar. You swallowed. Now or never, you thought.

“So,” you began. “Sometimes, when I’m home alone, I like to wander the compound a bit. Almost seems like there’s something new every time.”

“Did you find anything this time?” He asked.

“Yeah. I did. I went into a room and found, of all things, a coffin.”

You had Klaus’ attention now. "So like every stupid person in every horror movie, I opened it. Imagine my surprise when I found Rebekah inside with a dagger in her chest.“

Your heart was pounding at this point. You were almost afraid to see his face. "Naturally, I pulled it out. I just can’t figure out who would dagger her.”

Now you looked at Klaus. He was looking anywhere but you.

“She was going to leave us,” he finally said.

You closed your eyes. “You daggered her?”

“What was I supposed to do, Y/N? Let her leave?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what you should’ve done! Let me ask you something: You know I want to travel. I want to see the world. That means I’ll leave at some point. Tell me, Klaus, are you gonna dagger me, too? Because at this point I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“I would never hurt you!”

“You always say that to the people you care about! And then you dagger them, or do something else to hurt them! And, personally, my favorite part is when you say you did it to protect them when you know that’s BS!”

You stood up. “You promised me you wouldn’t use that dagger again. And you broke it without even giving it a second thought.”

You went back to your room before he could say anything else.


	11. Chapter 11

After crying yourself to sleep, you were woken up at 2 am by a loud crash somewhere in the compound. Before you could even begin to process it, your door flew open. You sat up. Klaus was standing in the doorway, pissed as hell.

“Where are they?” He growled.

“Wha?” You replied. You weren’t playing dumb. You were still half-asleep and had no idea what the hell he was talking about.

“Do not play dumb with me! Where are they?!”

“I’m not a mind reader! What the hell are you talking about?!”

He took a step forward. “Where are my daggers?”

Oh. _Oh._ Oh boy. Oh crap. Oh hell.

“I don’t know,” you replied. "Wherever you put them, I suppose.“

"Don’t lie to me!” He shouted.

“Frankly I don’t care if you believe me or not. What’re you gonna do? Drain me of vervain and compel me? Be my guest, Klaus!”

You stared at each other for what felt like forever. Just when you were getting ready to spit a smartass comment, Klaus yelled and flipped the desk. You ducked under the covers, shielding your head. Your heart was pounding out of your chest.

You waited a moment and slowly sat back up. Tired, hurt and furious, you had enough.

“ _Get out!_ ” You screamed. " _Get out, Klaus, get out!_ “

Klaus vamp sped out of your room. You jumped out of bed and slammed the door shut behind him. You leaned back against the door and pressed a hand over your mouth. You were not going to cry, not again. Your gaze landed on the broken desk.

It dawned on you that for the first time ever, you were scared of Klaus. Scared of what he might say next, what he might do next.

You were not going to hide in your room forever. You weren’t going to stay here, not when it was like this, when Klaus was like this. So you packed your things and changed out of your pajamas. You made your bed and lied on it. You knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep, but maybe, just maybe, you could trick your body into thinking that you were.

When morning came, you grabbed your bags and quietly left the compound. You got in your car, the one Klaus had gotten you for your twentieth birthday just two months ago, and drove to the New Orleans city limits.

You pulled over just in front of the sign and texted Elijah, Rebekah, Freya and Hayley. You set your phone down and waited. About an hour later they arrived. You got out of your car.

"You’re really leaving,” Rebekah said.

“Just for a bit,” you replied quietly. "I’ll be back before I Turn.“

"Are you sure about this?” Elijah asked. "I know Niklaus is prone to outbursts–“

"He flipped my desk,” you interrupted. "And it landed at the foot of my bed in pieces.“

No one said anything to that. "I will,” you said after a moment, “keep in touch.”

You blinked and swallowed hard. Funny. For some reason you didn’t think this would be so hard.

Rebekah hugged you fiercely. In fact, it turned into a group hug. Hell, you were gonna miss them. But you knew this is what you wanted–no, needed, to do.

You said goodbye and left. You didn’t know where exactly you were headed, but you weren’t bothered by that.

You wondered, briefly, how Klaus would react when he found out you’d left. Then you decided that, for once, you didn’t care.


	12. Chapter 12

It was four months until your 21st birthday. Four months until you Turned into a werecat and became immortal.

You had been gone for six months. Now you were driving back to New Orleans to do the necessary preparations for your Turning, which required a large chunk of time. You wouldn’t be staying at the compound. Instead you had gotten yourself an apartment not too close but not too far from it.

When you finally arrived and walked into your new apartment, you had the living hell scared out of you.

Rebekah, Elijah, Freya and Hayley were there waiting. You’d forgotten that you’d told them you were coming, though you were pretty sure you hadn’t told them yet where you were staying. Regardless, you dropped your bags and yelped when they shouted “Surprise!”

You’d missed them so much while you were gone. Sure, you talked to them all the time, but it was different compared to actually being there with them.

They helped you unpack and settle in and you traded stories, even retelling what you already knew. When they left at almost midnight, the apartment felt a little empty.

It wasn’t until you were comfortable in bed that you realized Klaus hadn’t been there. And of course, that thought opened the dam to more. Was he still mad? Had he managed to find the daggers? Were you still mad? Would things ever be same between you two? Would things even get better? Or would you be stuck like this forever?

Suffice to say you didn’t sleep well that night.


	13. Chapter 13

Today you were going to the compound. It was time to start preparing. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t nervous. You didn’t know as much you’d like to about Turning. Your parents had told you about it, of course, and what would happen, but they never went into details, so you were a bit lost on what exactly was to be done. Apparently, however, Freya had helped other werecats Turn, and knew what to do and how to do it.

You were painfully aware that going to the compound had meant you had a 50/50 chance of running into Klaus. You knew it was bound to happen eventually, but you had no idea when that would be or how it would go. Both those things freaked you out a little. You hadn’t been this nervous around him since you first met.

You parallel parked in front of the compound, took a deep breath, and got out of the car. You took another deep breath and entered the compound. No one was in the courtyard.

“Freya?” You called.

“Up here,” she called back. Upstairs on the right.

You went up and found her arranging things on a table. She smiled. You smiled back. The two of you sat and discussed what needed to be done and when. From spell ingredients to what and what not to do, you covered it.

“One more thing,” Freya said as you stood up to leave. "It’s important that this be done somewhere you feel safe. My first thought was here, but then…“ She trailed off.

You gave a tight smile. "Here’s fine.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you have until one month before to say something.”

You nodded.

“Y/N?”

Ah, hell. You turned, hoping your ears were playing tricks on you. They weren’t. Klaus was standing in the doorway. He seemed surprised to see you.

You took a deep breath. “Hello, Klaus.”

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Getting ready to Turn,” you replied, surprised at how steady your voice was.

Klaus’ surprised expression quickly turned into a scowl. "And who said you could do it here?“

"Who said I needed your permission?” You retorted.

“You are the one who left, not me.”

“At least I can control my temper enough to keep from throwing things. Particularly desks.”

“I don’t hide like a coward.”

That stung. He knew how guilty you still felt over hiding in the closet all those years ago. If Klaus was gonna fight dirty, so would you.

“I don’t break my promises, nor betray the ones I claim to care about,” you hissed, and stormed back to your car.


	14. Chapter 14

Two months of preparation later and you were exhausted. Freya stressed to you the importance of keeping well rested, and while you were listening to her and you wanted to sleep, your mind would not leave you alone long enough to get a decent amount of sleep. Three hours was the best you could do–and that was on a good night.

You avoided Klaus like the plague. It didn’t do anyone any good for the two of you to be at each other’s throats, so you took measures to prevent it.

You arrived at the compound now because Rebekah had texted you to “get your ass over here.” To say you were nervous was an understatement.

They were all gathered in the courtyard. All, that is, except Klaus.

“What’s going on?” You asked.

Elijah stood. “Niklaus has been abducted.”

Your blood ran cold. “By who?”

“Lucien Castle and Aurora de Martel.”

“Who?”

“They are two of the first people we ever turned.”

“Aurora is Klaus’ ex,” Hayley added.

“So, we’ve got a scorned ex-lover,” you said, “and what’s Lucien’s problem?”

“Back in the day Lucien fancied Aurora,” Rebekah explained. “He still does. He feels that Klaus stole his one true love.”

You nodded. Then you turned on your heel and started back to your car.

“Where are you going?” Elijah asked.

“To find Klaus, where else?” You replied.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Two hours of running around all over with no luck had sent you into a panicked frenzy. Your imagination ran wild with thoughts of what they were doing to Klaus, of what they were going to do, of what they might’ve already done–stop.

Still in your car, your pulled over and took a deep breath. Panicking like this, though understandable, wasn’t going to get you anywhere. You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against the headrest. Where would they take him…

Where did Lucien and Aurora live? That is, assuming they stayed in the same place. That might be a good place to start, and it was better than nothing.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Baseball bat in hand, you watched the digital numbers in the elevator go up and up and up to Lucien’s penthouse. It seemed too convenient for Klaus to be held here, but maybe that was the point.

The doors opened, and you stepped out. You turned to your left and saw Klaus on his knees, arms shackled above his head. Your eyes widened, and you rushed forward.

“I’m surprised you came,” he said.

“Then you’re a fool,” you replied, taking off the unlocked shackles.

Wait. Unlocked?

Ah, hell.

You tightened your grip on your bat as Klaus stood. A man and woman walked out from a room on your right. You assumed they were Lucien and Aurora.

“What have we here?” Aurora asked. “It seems someone thought they could sneak in and out without us noticing.”

“Oh, I wanted you to notice,” you replied. “Then I could see the looks on your faces right before I smashed them in.”

“That’s a bit violent, isn’t it?” Lucien said.

You shrugged. “Depends on your definition of violent.”

“Well, I love chitchat as much as the next person,” Aurora cut in. “But I think the time for games has passed.”

Before you could retort, she lunged at you. You swung your bat and she caught it. You yanked it towards you and jammed your knee into her stomach. She released the bat and you slammed it into her side. Aurora went flying into the wall and didn’t get up.

Klaus was fighting Lucien. You stormed up behind Lucien and smashed your bat into his skull. The sound that resulted made you a bit nauseous. He crumpled to the ground.

You bent over and placed your hands on your knees, breathing hard. You straightened after a moment.

“What do you want to do with them?” You asked, still a little breathless.

“Take them back to the compound,” Klaus replied.

You nodded and lifted Aurora. He took Lucien. Apparently, however, there was just one teensy little problem: you didn’t seem to be able to get through the doorway. It was like trying to go through a wall. Klaus could get through with no problem.

“I can’t get out,” you said.

He looked at you over his shoulder. “What do you mean you can’t get out?”

You tried again and hit the force field. “I mean I can’t get out.”

An idea struck you. You threw Aurora against the barrier and she went through. You groaned.

“Why aren’t you able to get through?” Klaus growled.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” You snapped. “I’m not a witch. Maybe because I’m human?”

“But you’re a werecat.”

“I haven’t Turned yet. Until I do I’m still a human. It makes sense. You can get through, these two can get through. You’re all supernatural beings. I’m not. At least, not yet.”

Klaus scowled. “Well, what are we supposed to do?”

“I highly doubt it would be a good thing if either or both of them wake up, so take them to the compound.”

“I’m not leaving you here by yourself.”

“You don’t have a choice, Klaus. If they can get out they can probably just as easily get back in. Go. Not like I’m going anywhere.”

Klaus looked at Lucien and Aurora, then back at you. Still scowling, he lifted Aurora up and over his shoulder. Lucien’s arm was around his neck. You weren’t entirely sure how Klaus was managing this. With a final glance back at you, he left.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You were cold. Freezing, actually. It didn’t take you long to figure out that there must’ve been some kind of spell on the place. You couldn’t get out, so you were being frozen, probably to death.

Your bat was next to you in case something happened. You weren’t sure if it would do any good. Your fingers and toes were numb from the cold now, and you were shivering so bad your breathing was shaky.

You were curled in on yourself against the wall next to the doorway. You were tired, but you knew it would be a bad idea to go to sleep. You would wait for Klaus to come back.

“Y/N!”

You breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. You sat up and saw Klaus crouched next to you.

“Freya’s on her way,” he said.

Your hand accidentally brushed his.

“Love, you’re freezing,” he muttered, draping his jacket over your shoulders.

You pulled your knees up against your chest, relishing how warm the jacket was. “I think th-there’s some sort of spell on this p-place.”

Klaus wrapped an arm around your shoulders and leaned back against the wall, pulling you with him.

“You’re warm,” you muttered. He didn’t respond. You could hear his heartbeat, and that, combined with his arms wrapped protectively around you, made you feel safe. You closed your eyes.

“Don’t go to sleep yet,” Klaus said.

“I’m tired,” you replied.

“As soon as we’re out of here, you can sleep as long as you want.”

“Fine.” You opened your eyes. Barely. “I’m going to die,” you mumbled after a while.

He tightened his grip on you. “No you won’t.”

“I’m gonna die, and it’s gonna happen stuck inside a magical meat locker." You laughed harshly.

"I’m not letting you die, Y/N.”

“I don’t think there’s another option, Nik.”

“There’s always another option.”

Your voice grew quiet. “You sound like Mama.”

Panic suddenly bubbled in your chest. “I don’t want to die. I don’t know what’s waiting for me, who’s waiting for me, and I don’t want to find out, not now, not yet, not ever.”

“You are not going to die." Klaus sounded so sure of it, much more than you were. You chose to believe him. You didn’t want your possible last moments to be panicked.

You took a deep breath and tried to relax, then tensed again a little. If you relaxed too much you might fall asleep. You couldn’t feel your legs anymore. For some reason it reminded you of the time the dentist put you on laughing gas when you were little, and they had to pull one of your baby teeth. Your limbs had felt weightless and detached but somehow attached.

"I know I’m not gonna die,” you whispered, “but there’s something I need to get off my chest." You swallowed. "I’m still mad at you. I’m probably gonna be for a while. But you’re the only family I’ve got left, and I think that counts for something, so…I forgive you. I’m mad at you, but I forgive you. Don’t say anything,” you added. “I don’t wanna cry, so don’t say anything.”

You weren’t sure how much time passed. What you were sure of was that it was getting increasingly harder and harder to keep your eyes open. You were shivering so hard you were a bit surprised your teeth hadn’t started chipping off.

You faintly heard sounds from somewhere behind you, near the entrance. If you had to guess you’d say the sounds were voices. If that was the case, though, you couldn’t determine who the voices belonged to.

You were airborne all of a sudden, and flew out of the room and somewhere else. You thought maybe the compound. You didn’t really care. You were finally starting to feel warm–barely, but the heat was there. It was cozy, and you were sleepy. You closed your eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

You entered the compound, nerves bouncing everywhere. It was eleven at night. In only an hour you’d turn 21 and Turn into a werecat.

You’d been fine after that little ‘incident’ at Lucien’s penthouse. Scared yourself and everyone else half to death (literally in your case), but you pulled through.

Speaking of Lucien, he and Aurora had been…“taken care of." Elijah’s words. You didn’t ask.

There was nothing else to prepare for the Turn. Everything was ready. You, on the other hand, not so much. You were flipping terrified. There were plenty of things that could go wrong during a Turn. The chances of one or all of those things happening to you were slim to none, but they were there, and that was enough to send your brain into overdrive. Read: Imagining all those things in excruciating detail.

Seeing the space for the spell all set up reminded you that this was really happening. For the first time in your life you felt actual fear about Turning. You snuck to your room as fast you could, shut the door and hid in the corner furthest from it.

You weren’t sure how long you sat there. It must’ve been a while, because you heard footsteps constantly passing your door and voices drifting close and away.

"Where are they?” Elijah.

“I don’t know.” Rebekah.

“It’s nearly midnight. They need to be down here at least five minutes before that.” Freya.

“Call them or something, then. Maybe they haven’t realized what time it is.” Hayley.

Interestingly, you didn’t hear Klaus. As soon as you thought that, the door handle turned. The saying usually goes “speak of the devil”, but you supposed in this case it was “think of the devil.”

It took Klaus no time at all to spot you in your little corner. You guessed it wasn’t as hidden as you thought.

“Nervous?” He asked, sitting across from you.

“A little,” you replied quietly.

“It’ll be fine, Y/N. Nothing bad will happen.”

You just nodded and picked at your cuticles. Klaus took your hand and squeezed it. “We’ll be right there with you.”

“I know,” you whispered, squeezing back.

He pulled you up. “It’s time, love.”

If your heart wasn’t pounding before, it sure as hell was now. You wondered if it was possible for it pound out of your chest as you laid on the ground in the courtyard. You would’ve rather been on a bed or a couch, but there was somehow a chance you would accidentally fall off. No sense in risking you hurting yourself.

You stared up intently at the sky. Freya started counting down from sixty. You forced yourself to breathe right. You weren’t sure if a countdown was worse than the Turn just suddenly happening.

You didn’t hear her reach one. Your eyes rolled back in your head, and your body began thrashing. You swore you were on fire. You faintly registered chanting in the background. You couldn’t stop thrashing, you just wanted it to end–

You slumped, breathing hard. You rolled on your side and wondered if you were about to throw up. When nothing happened, you sat up. At some point you’d closed your eyes, so you opened them

You heard crickets. Cars. Voices outside the compound. Music.

You could see a lone cricket hopping around in the corner, something you hadn’t noticed before. You looked up and took note of the stars in the sky you swore weren’t there before.

“Y/N?”

A smile broke out on your face as you looked at Klaus.

“I can see and hear everything,” you breathed.

You looked behind you and felt your head. “Kinda bummed about the lack of a tail and cat ears.”

You prodded your teeth, and your eyes widened. “I have fangs.”

Everyone started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” You asked.

“The look on your face,” Rebekah explained. “It’s like you’re seeing the world for the first time.”

“It feels like it! This is awesome!

You didn’t sleep that night. Instead you spent it intently listening for any and every little sound you could hear. You stopped doing that at about two a.m., though, when you came across some noises you’d rather not hear again. Ever.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Present Day** _

The agony resounding throughout your head suddenly disappeared. In place of it came the equally sudden return of your senses and exhaustion.

You were laying on your side. Something was moving through your hair–fingers. Someone was running their fingers through your hair.

Your breathing was shaky. Your whole body seemed to ache, making the action difficult.

Your face felt wet. Your eyes especially. You’d been crying. Explained why your nose felt funny.

Your throat was raw and dry, like you’d been screaming. Given the pain, you wouldn’t be surprised if you had screamed.

You didn’t open your eyes. You wanted to, but you didn’t want to. It was a strange feeling.

“Y/N?” Klaus whispered.

You mumbled something about being tired. Not long after you felt like you were floating. Someone was carrying you. You landed on something soft–a bed, maybe. Something just as soft landed on you–a blanket. You burrowed further into the bed, getting completely comfortable. Fingers began combing through your hair again, and you finally drifted off.


	17. Chapter 17

You stretched, slowly blinking your eyes open. The bed was incredibly comfortable. Though, now that you thought about it, you didn’t remember how you got in it. The last thing you remembered was…

You shot up. The spell. Freya hadn’t been kidding when she’d said “immense pain”, though that seemed like a slight underestimation now. Had it worked?

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to focus on finding the memories that had eluded you for so long. Only one way to find out.

You opened your eyes again, feeling tears pooling. You jumped out of bed and flung the door open. You practically flew down the stairs to the courtyard. Everyone but Klaus was there, and they immediately got up when they heard you.

“I remember,” you whispered.

The next few moments were a blur of happy hugs and laughing, plus a few tears. Elijah directed you upstairs.

Klaus was in his painting room, facing away from you. You lightly rapped on the door. “Nik.”

He turned. Your eyes watered again, and you smiled. “It worked, Nik. I remember.”

You took a small step forward, waiting for a reaction. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upward. You let out a small laugh and ran towards him. Klaus caught you, laughing as well, and spun you around a couple times.

You tightened your grip on him. The familiarity you felt and knowing what was causing it–the feeling was almost indescribable. You were home, and you were safe.


End file.
